Arcturian
Arcturians are a race of humanoid warrior clones native to the planet Arcturus IV. They are a member of the United Federation of Planets, providing a significant contribution to Federation ground forces during major interstellar conflicts. They are known for their militaristic nature, with aggressive tendencies hardwired into their DNA. Biology Arcturians are genderless and sterile, sustaining their species by producing 'batches' of new Arcturians with ancient cloning technology. Their genetic template may be based on a pre-existing species or they may have been created from scratch. They possess mostly masculine traits, with deep voices and gruff attitudes, and are comfortable being referred to with traditionally masculine pronouns. Arcturians are all largely identical, but their physiology varies depending upon their 'batch'. Different batches are produced from the same basic genetic template, but the template has been altered and improved upon over time to produce different characteristics. The original 'warrior' template ensures aggression, stamina, large physical stature and other characteristics which are advantageous in combat scenarios, whereas other templates (including 'sentinel', 'scout', 'artificer' and 'healer') are engineered to prioritise different features. New templates have been created over time to respond to the changing role of the Arcturians on the galactic stage. One of the original templates that has existed for thousands of years is the 'custodian' template, which ensures that there are always some Arcturians with the patience and spirit of scientific inquiry necessary to maintain the cloning process and improve the warrior template. Batches are numbered and colour-coded, with each individual Arcturian possessing a designation such as "Designation Teal 655-792-114" instead of a name. In terms of their general physical characteristics, Arcturians are short and stocky, but very strong. They have chalk-white or reddish-gray skin which forms heavy folds all over their bodies: these are an ablative protection system designed to absorb damage and drop off harmlessly, regrowing afterwards. Arcturians have large earlobes and small amounts of platinum hair. Arcturian biochemistry is optimised for combat. They have quick reflexes, a high pain threshold, and extremely good eyesight, but they also go into a "battle rage" when the odds are against them, a state of heightened aggression and reduced pain sensitivity. Arcturians can often keep fighting for hours even when wounded, which does tend to lead to unnecessary deaths when they fail to notice fatal wounds and do not present themselves for medical treatment until it is too late. Arcturians have a short lifespan of roughly twenty years. They suffer from cellular deterioration and bone marrow decay, leading to prolonged and painful deaths. Their genetic template has been altered in recent decades to try and prolong their lifespans or make them more comfortable in later life, but cellular deterioration seems to be an unavoidable consequence of the cloning process. Most Arcturians hope to die in battle before they reach old age. History and Culture Very little is known about the origins of the Arcturians, and Federation historians aren't helped by the fact that most Arcturians aren't very interested in their own history. It is believed that they were designed by an alien race to serve as the front-line infantry of a large interstellar empire, but this may have been many thousands of years ago. Their creators may have gone extinct before they ever used the Arcturians for their intended purpose. The Arcturians were completley dormant and absent from the galaxy until 2235, when the Federation starship ''Arizona ''was sent to survey Arcturus IV. A curious ensign in the landing party accidentally reactivated the ancient cloning technology, and a batch of two hundred custodians and three million warrior clones was put into production, stepping out of their cloning tanks three weeks later and immediately asking for orders. They were surprised when the captain of the ''Arizona ''said that he didn't have any orders for them. The ''Arizona ''left after a week of fruitless investigation into their history and culture, but before he beamed back to his ship the captain of the ''Arizona ''confused them further by ordering them to make decisions about the future of their species by themselves. The Arcturians struggled with the concept of self-determination, and lacked leaders, having an anarchic society where every Arcturian was treated as having an equally valid opinion. Many decided to simply train until they were needed, whereas others wanted to travel off-world and seek out their creators. The discovery of the Arcturians caused a considerable amount of interstellar tension, when it was realised that whoever controlled the loyalty of the Arcturians could potentially clone billions of soldiers overnight. A Gorn warlord tried to conquer the Arcturians to prove his strength, but he was driven back. During the Four Years War in the 2250s, the Klingon Empire sent agents to try and win over the loyalty of the Arcturians, promising that by helping the Klingons to conquer the galaxy they would be achieving the purpose for which they had been created. Some Arcturians were tempted, whereas others believed that they should be loyal to whoever last activated their cloning machines: in this case, the Federation. There was a messy civil war for control of the cloning facilities, with both sides receiving weapons and reinforcements from the interstellar body that they wanted to support. Casualties were enormous, with millions of Arcturians dying every week and being replaced by new batches of clones. Eventually the Federation destroyed the enemy-held cloning facilities with an orbital bombardment, forcing the Klingons to retreat but causing lasting resentment from the Arcturians in the process. Nontheless, the Arcturians agreed to ally themselves with the Federation, allowing Starfleet to deploy them against the Klingons. Arcturian troops made a vital contribution to the war effort, participating in the massive assault on Kolm-an that ended the war and forced the Klingons to sue for peace. After the war, the Acturians found other roles for themselves in galactic society, with many of them wanting to continue fighting. They were hesitant to join the Federation, and large numbers of Arcturians became mercenaries and pirates, volunteering to fight in wars all over the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. As an independent and strategically-located world with an anarchic government and a large criminal association, Arcturus became a haven for thieves and malcontents. It was technically inside Federation territory, but served as a neutral meeting place, useful for quiet rendezvous between diplomats and intelligence agents from all large interstellar powers. The first cities on Arcturus were built to facilitate this, funded mostly by the Romulan Empire through Orion intermediaries. The Custodians were unhappy with this situation, and they subtly altered the Warrior template so that the next batch of Arcturians had different attitudes towards the criminal underworld, taking pride in their planet and wanting to improve the reputation of their species. Arcturus cleaned itself up and officially joined the United Federation of Planets in 2271. Arcturians have continued to make major wartime contributions to the Federation's ground forces, serving alongside the Andorian Guard and Earth's Military Assault Command Organisation in the Federation-Cardassian War, the Tholian War, and the Dominion War. Arcturians are still seen in criminal circles, often serving as mercenaries, but large numbers have become upstanding citizens of the Federation. A recent batch of Arcturians was designed specifically to make them into excellent Starfleet officers, with their aggressive tendencies toned down and their friendliness considerably increased.